The Greeks had an interesting afterlife belief. They believed in three primary places a person could go in the afterlife. In many ways these three places are very similar to the three that Christians believe in today. However, there are some key differences. The first and primary place that the Greeks believed they could go to in the afterlife was Erebus, or more commonly known as Hades. The upper level of the region of Erebus was known as “The Plain of Asphodel.” In the “Plain of Asphodel” people would cease to have any consciousness. They would still exist as individuals, but they would not experience any joy, pain, suffering, or time.

“Most Mortals who died will find their final resting place in the Plain of Asphodel, which was part of the Erubus region. The shades that dwelled here have no memories of their former lives. The place was gray and gloomy, but the shades who populated this region will experience neither joy nor sorrow.” (timelessmyths.com, 3)

This is The Plain of Asphodel often mistaken for as the Greek version of Christianity’s Hell. But that is not the case. The Plain of Asphodel are closer to the Catholic idea of Purgatory.

The lower level of the Greek afterlife is known as Tartarus. This is the level that would most accurately be described as a Hell for in this level the souls of those who have committed the most vile of crimes against the Gods (namely the Titans) are punished. Among the mortals who were punished in Tartarus was Sisyphus, who betrayed the secrets of the Gods. He chained up the God of Death so that the deceased could not enter the underworld. He was forced to roll a rock up a hill for eternity, only to have it roll back down the hill every time he reached the peak. Another mortal was Tantalus, who was invited to be the guest of the Gods and share their food… however he betrayed the Guest-host relationship and thus is tantalized with hunger for eternity.

         The third place a soul could go to in the Greek afterlife is the Elysian Fields. This place is also called the Isle of the Blessed, where the chosen heroes, servants, prophets, and other blessed followers of the Gods resided for eternity in communion with the Greek Gods. This place could easily be recognized as similar to the Christian concept of Heaven. However, it was not necessarily perfect in the Elysian Fields for one still had rivalries between the various Gods with which to contend. Among the people who resided in the Elysian Fields were Helen of Troy, the woman who inspired the Great Trojan War, Achiles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, Medea, guardianess of the Golden Fleece, Ajax, the second greatest hero of the Greeks in the Trojan War, and Aeneas one of the heroes of Troy during the Trojan War.

“Radbod of Frisia had one foot in the baptismal font, and was ready to be baptized when he asked, ‘Where are my dead ancestors at present?’ Wolfram the Christian Missionary answered, ‘In Hell, with all the other unbelievers.’ Upon hearing this, Radbod removed his foot from the font and responded, ‘Then I would rather live there with my honorable ancestors than go to Heaven with a parcel of beggars.’” (ealdriht.org, 1)

            The above demonstrates the belief that many Asatru (modern Heathens, which encompassed all of the Pre-Christian Religions of the Germanic speaking peoples) have about the Christian afterlife. It also demonstrates the stubbornness of the Heathen people when faced with Christian missionaries who were trying to convert them to Christianity. Though the Heathens did not believe in the Christian Hell, they did believe in a “Hell.” In the Heathen religion, the punishments in the Afterlife for those who committed serious crimes were very severe:

“I saw there wading through the rivers wild
Treacherous men and murderous too,
And workers of ill with the wives of men;
There Nithhogg sucked the blood of the slain,
And the wolf tore men; would you know yet more?
(Voluspa 39 Bellows Translation)” (ealdriht.org, 1)

“On Nástrandir [corpse strands] there is a large and horrible hall whose doors face north; it is made of the backs of serpents woven together like wattle-work, with all their heads turning in to the house and spewing poison so that rivers of it run through the hall. Perjurers and murderers wade these rivers as it says here.
(The Deluding of Gylfi, Prose Edda, Young Translation)” (ealdriht.org, 1)

            For a Heathen who followed the Heathen religion, one was supposed to live a good, heroic, and virtuous life. However, many Heathens were little more than pirates, and murderous ones at that. Christianity seemed to be an easy way for them to get a prosperous Afterlife. Unfortunately, what they did not seem to understand is that in addition to asking forgiveness, one is supposed to live as virtuous a life as possible within Christianity. Many of these Heathens believed that so long as they asked forgiveness every time they committed a sin, they essentially could do whatever they pleased.

            Some modern academics seem to be under the impression that because some of the texts seem to indicate that nothing more is necessary than living a virtuous life so that one’s name will live on forever, there was in fact no concept of a Norse afterlife. An example of one of the texts these scholars use as their evidence is the following

“Cattle die, and kinsmen die,
Thyself eke soon wilt die;
But fair fame will fade never
I will ween, for him who wins it.”
(Hollander translation, verse 76) (ealdriht.org, 2)

 In other words, these scholars are saying that because some of the texts say that the best a warrior can hope for is fame after his death, then Heathens did not believe in an Afterlife. However, contrary to what these scholars claim, there are other texts that clearly indicate the Heathens believed in an Afterlife and that there are thousands of examples of people being buried with grave goods (perishable and non-perishable goods being buried with the person at the time of their death). Only cultures that believe in an afterlife would bury a person with grave goods.
          The Old English term Heofon, from which the modern English word Heaven is derived, does not generally apply to a Heathen Afterlife location. However in some ancient Heathen records, it does appear to refer to the Afterlife paradise. So there is some correlation between the terms Heaven and Heofon.
           The word Hell is apparently derived in part from the Norse word Hel which is the name of the Goddess Hel, daughter of the Trickster God Loki, and his wife Angrboda. However when referring to an Afterlife location, the Norse talk about Helheim, the “House of Hel.” The third quote provided in this section actually describes this particular location to some extent. Helheim was supposed to be a dank and dreary place to which the souls of those who did not die a glorious death went to. It was also the location where those who were to be punished for crimes of one sort or another would go to reside until the time of Ragnarok, which is referred to as “The Twilight of the Gods” or the “End of the World as we know it.”
            In the Icelandic and possibly the Anglo-Saxon segments of the Heathen religions there was a belief that the dead would live on inside of their burial mounds. This can be demonstrated by the shear number of burial mounds found in both Iceland and England. The descriptions of this particular belief were also found in the Icelandic Saga’s, which are the major pre-Christian myths of the Icelandic peoples.
            Apparently in the Saga’s known as Landnámabók and Brennu-Njál, a particular family believed that upon dying their souls would go to reside inside of the mountain named Helgafell. Additionally, it is believed that the Wizard Svanrm was received into the mountain named Kaldbak after he drowned on a fishing trip. So there is some decent tradition that when Heathens die, their souls go on to reside inside of a sacred mountain.
            Valhalla is the hall of Odin where half of the Einharjar go upon their death! Half of the heroes who died on the fields of battle belong to Odin and went to the hall of Valhalla. The other half go to Freya, Odin’s wife, and reside in the Palace of  Folkvang, which holds the hall of Sessrumnir, both of which are desirable places to go in the afterlife. However, it is Freya who gets first pick of the Einherjar - heroes who fall in battle - followed by Odin. In Odin’s realm there are Valkyries, beautiful women who are skilled at combat, and various indecent sexual practices. In Folkvang, love songs are constantly being played. Which of these two realms is preferable? Remember, only an elect few actually get to see these realms!
           Finally, there does appear to be some evidence that the Heathens did believe in some form of reincarnation. However, the evidence for this is not present in the case of the Anglo-Saxons. Apparently the Norse believed in two primary forms of reincarnation. The first was when a person was named after the deceased relative. If this happened, the dead relative’s Hamingja - a part of the soul - would be inherited by the person who inherits the name. The second form of reincarnation was when the entirety of the soul is reincarnated. An example of this is when King Olaf (aka Saint Olaf) - who was the first Christian King of Norway - is named the reincarnation of Óláfr Geirstaðaálfr (one of Saint Olaf’s ancestors, and a previous King of Norway) by Wodan, the Norse name for the God Odin. The most popular idea that the Heathens go to Valhalla or Folkvang if they die an honorable death in battle is why so many of the Heathens sought battle. They felt that the more opportunities they had to die a glorious death, the more opportunities they had to get into Valhalla or Folkvang. Unfortunately, this belief eventually led many of them down the road to what was in essence piracy, which would ultimately leave the door open for Christian conversions.
           Throughout Celtic Europe, which spanned from approximately 600 BCE to approximately 1600 CE, there were at least three primary beliefs about the Afterlife. The first and most important yet difficult to understand, was the concept of Transmigration of the Soul. The second was the Afterlife in the Land of the Dead. And the third was the Afterlife in the Land of the Gods.
          Transmigration of the Soul is a relatively complex concept. Though it is similar to Reincarnation, Transmigration of the Soul is severely different from Reincarnation on a few very key points. Where as in Reincarnation a person dies and his soul will pass on to another form after death (usually occurring anywhere from instantaneously to a lifetime after death), Transmigration of the Soul can occur at the time of a persons death, a few minutes before that person’s death, and even temporarily during the life time of a person. Another name for Transmigration of the Soul is “Shape-Shifting.” The most famous person who has ever performed Shape-shifting (Transmigration of the Soul) while still being alive, and was able to return to his original form to talk about it, was the Druid Myrddin (aka Merlin), King Arthur’s chief advisor to the Crown. Another less well known, but no less important figure who was able to perform Transmigration of the Soul (though he didn’t return to his original form afterwards), was the Bard Taliesin, Chief Minstrel in King Arthur’s Court. There are some who believe King Arthur and his court are mere legends. However, there are also some who believe that King Arthur and his court are legends squarely based on real life figures. The author of this paper is squarely based in the latter group of people.
            Alongside of Transmigration of the Soul, the Celts also believed that when a person truly died, their soul would most likely go to the Land of the Dead. This was a place where both the good and the evil would eventually end up. In Irish lore, this land was referred to as Tech Duinn (or the House of Donn).

“This world comprises of good and evil, as souls who die from this world, good or evil, find themselves in the realm of the dead. Likewise, those who die in Tech Duinn find themselves in our world once more.”
(ancientworlds.net, 1) 

If a person were to die in the mortal world (i.e. Earth) he would usually end up either Transmigrating or in the Land of Tech Duinn. If he ended up in Tech Duinn, he would spend a life time there. After he lived out his lifetime in Tech Duinn, he would die in Tech Duinn, only to be reborn here on Earth. Tech Duinn, like the Elysian Fields, is said to be a real world location, as well as a spiritual realm. In the case of its real world location, it is supposed to be a rocky islet off the coast of Dursey Island in County Cork, Ireland. In addition, Munster Ireland is said to be linked to Donn, and the Land of the Dead, because Donn was said to once have resided there.
           The third possibility, is the most controversial one. According to some people, if a person is pleasing to the Gods of the Celts, the Gods will whisk that person away at the time of his death (spirit form primarily), and take him to one of the various Celtic Otherworlds (lands of the Sidhe). The best known example of these places is Avalon, which is primarily so well known thanks to the popularity of King Arthur. Another well known example is Tir Na n’Og, which is associated with the Leprachauns.

            The Celts believed that a person would be reborn in one way or another when he died, which led them to be some of the most powerful warriors in history. This belief gave them a complete lack of the fear of death. This utterly scared the fighting spirit out of their opposition most of the time. However when a peaceful conqueror came to the Celtic Lands, the Celts didn’t know how to deal with him. The Celts ultimately fell to this peaceful conqueror, and became Christians for better or for worse. One of these peaceful conqueror’s was the man named Naomh Pádraig, or Saint Patrick, who was famous for finishing the work of converting the Irish to Catholicism. Many of the traditions and beliefs of the Celts still survive in modern times, including some of the beliefs about what happens upon death.
            Sheol is an interesting place to discuss. According to most people, it refers to “The Grave” or “The Pit.” It is a place where people reside until the day of Judgement at the end of times. It is not a place of happiness, nor is it a place of sorrow. It is a place of simple existence. In fact the best verb to describe what goes on in Sheol is “sleep” because according to everything that is written about the place, the people who are in it are essentially asleep until the end of time.

“In summary, from the above scriptures the description is basically a place, beneath the earth, where the dead go to, a place of the gathering of the dead. People went sorrowfully to Sheol and it contained sorrows; therefore, it was viewed as gloomy. It was thought both the good and evil went there; some could be taken there alive. The Hebrews often described it as a grave or pit. The Lord could send people down to Sheol, or he could bring them up from it. A person can send another person to Sheol. Sheol is seen as a dark place where everyone rests in dust; and it appears to have been thought to have levels because the lowest and belly of Sheol is referred to.”

(themystica.com, 1)

 In fact, the closest similarity it has with any of the other places previously described would be one with the Plains of Asphodel. As in both places there is a severe lack of consciousness.
            According to Christian theology, specifically Catholic theology, there are three primary locations that a person can go to when he dies. The first and most pleasant is Heaven. The second and primary location where a soul goes to upon death is Purgatory. The third, and least pleasant (due to eternal torment) is Hell. The most famous work describing these locations is Dante’s Divine Comedy.

           According to Dante, Hell has 9 circles. The first circle was devoted to those who died before the birth of Christ, or without being baptized. It is not a place of Punishment, but rather a place where they can spend eternity in peace, but outside the presence of the Godhead.

In the second Circle, you encounter Minos, the Bull Judge.

“There Minos sits, grinning, grotesque, and hale. He examines each lost soul as it arrives and delivers his verdict with his coiling tail. That is to say, when the ill-fated soul appears before him it confesses all, and that grim sorter of the dark and the foul Decides which place in Hell shall be its end, then wraps his twitching tail about himself one coil for each degree it must descend.”

(Dante, 57 - 58)

Interestingly Minos was once a Minor Judge God in Greek mythology. Notable figures who resided in the second circle were Paola and Francesca, who were historical contemporaries of Dante. Francesca was destined to marry Paola’s older brother, but the older brother was deformed, and it was believed that if Francesca saw him before the marriage she would never go through with it. So Paola was sent to marry Francesca in his brother’s name. Unfortunately for both of them, Francesca fell instantly in love with Paola. After the marriage deception, Paola and Francesca deceived Paola’s older brother, becoming intimate with each other in his absence. Unfortunately they were found out by the older brother’s man-servant. For their sin of lust, they are destined to have sex for eternity, without ever reaching a climax.

            The third level of Hell is for those who have committed the sin of gluttony. In this level the formerly magnificent hound named Cerberus, who is the three headed watch-dog of the House of Hades in Greek mythology, has been transformed into little more than an ill-mannered mutt.

            The forth level is the level where those who committed monetary sins are based. The two types of sinners (spendthrifts and hoarders) roll stones in opposite directions at all times, usually resulting in head on collisions.

            The fifth circle of Hell is where the wrathful dwell in the River Styx, and are always filled with rage. They cannot help but bite down on themselves and each other for eternity.

            The sixth circle is where the Arch-Heretics reside, those people who lead people falsely in the name of religion (specifically the Christian religion). Among the people in the sixth circle is Calvacante de’Calvacante, a prominent money lender during the Crusades. Although he was aligned with a family that supported the Vatican, he was eventually denounced as a heretic.

            The seventh circle is dedicated to those who have committed sins of violence.

“The first below are the violent, but as violence sins in three persons, so is that circle formed of three descending rounds of crueler torments. Against God, self, and neighbor is the violence shown, against their persons and their goods, I say, as you shall hear set forth with open reason.”

(Dante, 104)

Those who have committed violence towards others spend eternity in the first round of the seventh circle.

“Murder and mayhem are the violation of the person of one’s neighbor: and of his goods; harassment, plunder, arson, and extortion. Therefore, homicides, and those who strike in malice – destroyers and plunderers – all lie in that first round, and like suffer with like.”

(Dante, 104)

Those who have committed violence towards themselves spend eternity in the second round of the seventh circle.

“A man may lay violent hands upon his own person and substance; so in that second round eternally in vain repentance moan The suicides and all who gamble away and waste the good substance of their lives and weep in that sweet time when they should be gay.”

(Dante, 105)

And those who committed violence towards God, spend eternity in the third round of the seventh circle:

“Violence may be offered the Deity in the heart that blasphemes and refuses him and scorns the gifts of nature, her beauty and bounty. Therefore, the smallest round brands with its mark both Sodom and cahors, and all who rail at God and His commands in their hearts’ dark.”

(Dante, 105)

The eighth circle is where a huge population of sinners gathers. It is divided into ten sub categories: 1. Seducers and Panderers, 2. Flatterers, 3. Simoniacs, 4. Fortune Tellers and Diviners, 5. Grafters, 6. Hypocrites, 7. Thieves, 8. Evil Counselors, 9. Sowers of Discord, 10. Counterfeiters and Alchemists.

            The ninth circle is the circle designated solely for those who are guilty of being traitors. This circle is divided into four sub categories: 1. Treachery against kin, 2. Treachery against country, 3. Treachery against guests and hosts, and finally 4. Treachery against Lords and Benefactors. The most notable person to dwell in this particular section of Hell is Satan himself. Satan is not considered the Master of Hell, but rather a prisoner of Hell. According to Christian mythology Satan is the biggest traitor. Satan was a traitor to his God! In Dante’s version of Hell, Satan has three faces, each chews a different famous traitor for eternity: Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus of Nazareth, Gaius Cassius Longinus, the prime force behind the stabbing of Julius Caesar, and Marcus Junius Brutus, the best friend of Julius Caesar and the most famous of Julius Caesar’s assassins.
            Purgatory, in the Catholic sense, is very similar to the old Hebrew tradition of bathing before entering the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. It is a form of final purification before one can finally enter Heaven.

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Purgatory as a ‘Purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven’”

(catholic.com, 1)

It is believed by the Catholics that upon death a person has a personal judgment by God, where by he is told what his personal Afterlife is going to be. Before he can achieve this Afterlife, however, he must undergo a period of purification. This occurs between the time he dies and the time of Jesus’ second coming. This all occurs in Purgatory.

            Heaven is a word derived from the Old English word Heofon, which is in turn derived from the older word Himil, which is in turn derived from the even older word Himin. Heaven appears to exist outside of the realm of Earth. According to some theologians, it seems to have a definite limit to its spatial dimensions (in other words, it is not infinitely huge). In order to reach Heaven (according to many Christians) one must do the following: he must accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he must repent of his sins and ask for forgiveness for those sins, and he must regularly work to avoid future sinning. As previously mentioned, numerous people seem to think that if they do the first two, they have a free pass to do whatever they please for the rest of their life, and that they will still go to Heaven. This simply is not the case. The nature of Heaven itself is a little harder to pin down. Unlike Hell which people are more capable of imagining, paradise is a more illusive term for people to understand. A  paradise for one person is not

necessarily going to be a paradise for another person. Trying to describe Heaven would be self defeating.

            The fear of going to Hell, often leads many Christians to live lives of varying types, but usually peaceful and kind. For some reason, however, when threatened, the Christians are just as willing to defend a cause they feel strongly about as any other culture in the world, especially if they feel it is a cause supported by their God!

             I have discussed various forms of the Afterlife. However, so far I have tried to give no indication which of these Afterlives I personally would prefer. Some of you might have guessed that based on my descriptions of the Heathen Afterlife, that I might prefer the Heathen Afterlife. Some of you might have guessed that just because Christianity is the most popular Religion in the world, that I might prefer the Christian Heaven. Actually, the Afterlife I would prefer, is the Celtic Afterlife. I am specifically hoping to be taken by one of my Matron Goddesses, An Cailleach, to the land of eternity known as Tir Na m’Beo. Though it is not paradise as described by the Christians, or even the Greeks, Tir Na m’Beo is very much a paradise to me. It is a land where time ceases to exist, and where life is in abundance. It is a land free from all disease. In my opinion it is the best Afterlife a mortal person who struggles with a disability could ask.